Even with a collection of power tools in the garage, it stills pays to be able to use the ultimate mechanical tool combo: the hammer and the nail. Here's five tips from Popular Mechanics for success every time: straight nails, and nice, safe thumbs.

"The raw material for petroleum jelly was discovered in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania where it was stuck to some of the first oil rigs in the U.S. The workers disliked the paraffin like material because it caused the rigs to seize up, but they used it on cuts and burns because it hastened healing. Robert Chesebrough, a young chemist whose previous work of distilling fuel from the oil of sperm whales had been renderedContinue Reading

"Your Construction Connection" tool site Toolbarn.com has assembled a list of suggestions of (moderately) simple DIY tips to make your house a little more environmentally friendly. Some of them are pretty obvious, and a couple are repeats, but there's a few gems worth pursuing.

Though stereotypes abound, I (a man) love to read the paperwork and manuals that come with a new purchase. I'll sit down and read the whole thing before I even mess with my new gear, somewhat for safety and know-how, but mostly to prolong the excitement.

And I keep all the manuals. There's boxes in my basement, and it takes way too long to sort through all the nonsense just to reference a quick setting. So, though they're not rocketscience,Continue Reading

20. List it. Instead of listing everything you THINK you need, first plan your meals for the week and then buy the ingredients you’ll ACTUALLY need to make them. By doing so, experts say you just might save up to 41% on your grocery bill.

19. Eat first. This tried and true hint bears repeating, as going to the grocery story hungry is the primary reason we buy on impulse.

18. Skip the processed food. Not only are they not good for you, they costContinue Reading

Like it or not, most painting projects require more than one coat of paint. Whether it takes place over one or more days, we’re still faced with cleaning our brushes between coats. To make this task less taxing, turn to your freezer.

As anybody who has cleaned latex paint from a paintbrush knows, the majority of the paint comes out in the first five or ten seconds. It’s the next ten to fifteen minutes that are devoted to getting the brush squeakyContinue Reading